WingedEagle

Cena probably deserves WOTY this year.

Agree you can credibly put him at #1. Wouldn't challenge that at all.

I don't get why transitions need to be so intricate or amazing. One dude misses a move. Another takes over. There's your transition. One dude counters a move and takes over. Its a fight.

Can't argue with someone who says the Bullet Club stuff brought it down a notch. I can't hold it against the match because of the payoff with them finally being ejected and Red Shoes even throwing a crotch chop, followed by basically an entire match of greatness. How'd you like the finish? I need to give Sak/Shibata another look. Thought it was good when I watched it. But enough people I respect have gone great on it so will have to check it out again this week.

Alex Shelley on Twitter just now with a really nice tribute to his friend Kushida for winning the IWGP Jr. Title. Nice to see how much it means to them and how close they are.

David West takes an $11M paycut to go to war with Duncan & Pop. 96 minutes to split amongst Dunc/LMA/West/Diaw/Kahwi & others when playing small ball. Then they channel dubya and get all nucular come playoff time. This is going to be beyond fun to watch.

Overbooked, 100% agree. Could very well aregue they're 2 entirely different watches.

That wasn't the point you originally made or the one that I raised upon reading it. I'm sure that much is clear.

Not alone in thinking that it was a MOTYC. I went 4.75 immediately after watching but am curious how I'll take to it on a rewatch later in the year. I loved the beginning, thought it was a little slow until the BC were ejected and then picked back up from there for the meat with Styles's offense and Okada fighting through it. Definitely saw the finishing stretch different than you which is what put it over the top for me as I thought it was so well laid out and executed, one of the best I've seen in ages.

Haha stoked to listen to the show because nothing beats Dave going off on history which the mailbag permits, but this was not that kind of blowaway though. Makabe/Ishii thoroughly did nothing for me and I'm a huge Ishii guy. Loved the main event and thought it was a legit MOTYC and even enjoyed Nak/Goto more than possibly any Goto match I've ever seen. But this was not my GOAT show. All that aside, I'm still grateful that Dave finds things to enjoy and rave about in wrestling. I could so easily see him having the joy sucked out of wrestling on countless occasions over the years so its great to see him enthused. Now about that MMA stuf...

I believe they're setting up Barclays for a 5K capacity for NXT with the ability to expand if if demand warrants.

I might rather watch a Baba match at this point, but there's no way I can vote for him over Punk. Between the WWE years Will cited and a number of ROH goodness that holds up well for me he takes it on sheer volume. Though he probably doesn't many, if any, that hold up to some of the tags Baba play a (vital) part in. Nevermind some of his hot singles matches with Hansen. But a vote for him would feel a whole lot more romantic then realistic.

I agree with this. However, bad booking in a match can be held against a match on initial viewing but not mean as much on rewatch, giving you more enjoyment the second time around. Definitely, one thing a rewatch can do is separate you from bad booking, weeks or months of horrendous TV and let you enjoy a match on its own. I'm sure I'll find that when I go back to watch some TNA that looks great in hindsight but must've been a chore to sit through for the regulars.

This guy: WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - February 23, 1992 (matinee) (14,000) Televised on the MSG Network 2/29/92 - featured Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, & Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary: Prime Time Wrestling - 4/20/92: The Berzerker pinned Jim Brunzell with a falling slam at 8:44 Prime Time Wrestling - 5/25/92: The Nasty Boys (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated the Bushwhackers at 12:38 when Brian Knobbs pinned Butch after Saggs hit Butch with the ring bell behind the referee's back Prime Time Wrestling - 3/9/92: The Warlord pinned Chris Walker at 11:14 with a powerbomb Prime Time Wrestling - 3/23/92: Sid Justice (w/ Harvey Whippleman) pinned Hercules with a powerbomb at the 25-second mark; prior to the bout, Justice allowed Hercules to leave the ring and forfeit the match but Herc attacked him from behind WWF IC Champion Roddy Piper pinned Repo Man at 3:31 with an elbow drop after hitting the challenger with his own steel hook; prior to the bout, Repo stole a watch from a woman at ringside only for Piper to return it to her after the conclusion of the match The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned Davey Boy Smith at 5:19 after dropping him throat-first across the top rope Prime Time Wrestling - 4/20/92: Rick Martel pinned the Big Bossman at 13:49 after hitting him with Bossman’s own nightstick behind the referee's back as the referee prevented Bossman from using Martel's atomizer can as a weapon Sid Justice won a 20-man battle royal by last eliminating Hulk Hogan at 16:37; Hogan originally elimiated Justice at 15:50 but the referee inside the ring had been knocked to the floor by Justice; moments later, Sid returned to the ring, hit Hogan with Harvey Wippleman's doctor's bag, rolled Hogan to the floor underneath the bottom rope, and woke the referee up to tell him he threw Hogan over the top; other participants included: WWF IC Champion Roddy Piper, Chris Walker, Rick Martel, WWF World Champion Ric Flair, the Big Bossman, Davey Boy Smith, the Berzerker, Hercules, the Bushwhackers, Skinner, Repo Man, the Warlord, Kato, Jim Brunzell, the Nasty Boys, and the Undertaker; order of elimination: Butch by the Nasty Boys (2:31); the Berzerker by Hogan (5:30); Skinner after Piper ducked a clothesline (5:49); Kato by Piper (6:00); Brunzell by Martel (6:38); Hercules by Hogan (7:09); Martel by Bossman (7:18); Saggs by Hogan (8:25); Luke by the Undertaker (8:36); Walker by the Warlord (8:48); Flair & Repo by Piper (9:45); Piper by Sid (10:06); Taker by Bossman (11:42); Smith by Sid (12:32); Knobbs by Hogan (13:10); Warlord by Hogan (13:33); Bossman by Sid (13:41); the Legion of Doom were to have competed in the match but were replaced

Firmly believe that both are relevant and could make a case for going with either. You can't replicate the suspense of not knowing a finish the first time around and popping for false finishes when the outcome is truly in doubt. Nor should it be held against a match that this isn't as big an asset on rewatch.

I go into every Hase match thinking its going to be a chore because of his look and the way he carries himself as someone who's about to deliver some weak sauce offense. Then the bell rings and for 15-25 minutes all is right with the world. Whether he's excelling on the mat, bringing the hate with blood and viciousness or shining on a hot tag I'm never left wanting with Hase. But, yeah, if you don't dig him then your mileage here will be limited.

This is one criticism I've yet to understand. The alternative to this "turn" theory is a squash. If one doesn't like the offense, the selling, the approach in a given match explain why it didn't work. The fact that both participants had ball control doesn't get there.

Really agreed with your thoughts on the Hash G1 match. As good as it was (very good) it felt like it had another gear that was never reached, especially with everything that led into it.

The only thing Brock has been involved in since returning that was not in some way special or a waste was being laid out by the job squad a few weeks ago. This was nothing more than a glorified squash but good enoughb for that that it more than maintained and enhanced his aura.

I'm with you that there was nothing so special about it. Just haven't really had that kind of squash from someone like Brock on TV in a while so while it was unique it was nothing blowaway from my perspective. Just fun.

Balor-Owens was a low-level MOTYC for me and while it feels like the standout match of the week given the production and fact this was a big show, I need to rewatch Cena/Cesaro anyways. Biggest standout was the commentary as I was never clawing at my ears and it actually brought he potato salad and slaw rather than take nearly everything away from the proverbial table. Between Cena/Cesaro, this show and Dragon Gate its been a hell of a week. With Dominion to follow tomorrow. i stayed off of the Twittah Machine (TM Bully Ray) to watch this spoiler free which means I should have no trouble doing the same for Dominion. Looking forward to it. Happy 4th e'ebody.

The Return of Musgrave is definitely a July 4 special.

El-P, give me 5 to watch.

Never understood the love. Maybe if I grew up watching him and learned wrestling through WMC TV I'd feel differently. He has a few good matches and brawls. Nothing I couldn't live without and certainly nothing that left any real imprint on me as a fan. Just a guy who was there.